The Pollins family wanted to add an extra living space to their home and create a room that would remove the boundaries between inside and outside. The main objective was to provide an uninterrupted view of the garden which they could enjoy all year round; in effect the creation of what is now commonly known as the ‘third living space’.
Martin and Sue Pollins moved into their house in Newick five years ago. Although a relatively new build, the grounds originally belonged to an old nursing home, which meant that they inherited a 100-year-old yew hedge and beautiful silver birches encircling their south east facing garden.
The Pollins family knew from the outset that they didn’t just want to add an extra room to the house, they wanted a view. Their first thought was to put in a traditional conservatory, but felt a brick base would detract from what they wanted to achieve, a seamless link between the room and garden.
“It took several years to decide what we actually wanted. Finally when speaking to Lifestyle Conservatories, who were part of the design process from the start, Origin Bi-folding doors were recommended. Once we realised that bi-folds would create the conservatory we had in mind, with large glass expanses and modern architecture, we knew this was the modern chic look we wanted,” says Sue Pollins.
The Pollinses were impressed with the floor to ceiling construction of bi-folding doors and for them the key points – unspoiled design between the room and garden, the security features and the ease of use – proved to be the perfect combination for their ideal conservatory.
They specified a five-door and a three-door set for their 16 sq m conservatory, with all doors in both sets folding and sliding in the same direction. Incorporating two sets of folding sliding doors into the room design meant that the entire opening and wonderful view of their garden would be revealed.
The five-door set was fitted in an aperture of 5123mm with each door leaf measuring 989mm wide by a standard height of approximately 2351mm. The three-door set was installed into a 3050mm aperture with each door measuring approximately 966mm x 2351mm. The aluminium doors were powder coated in hipca white to maintain a modern fresh look, but also to match the french doors already installed in the house.
The high grade powder coated finish of the doors removes the need for periodic painting and maintenance. The hard wearing finish protects against scratches and colour fading, minimising the upkeep of the doors. Martin and Sue Pollins chose their specific opening configurations to ensure they had use of an everyday traffic door or master door, which when opened connects to a magnetic keep to prevent the door slamming shut. The main traffic door houses an eight-point multi-point locking system and satisfied concerns about security.
In terms of a conservatory extension ‘bringing the outside in’, the bi-folds give the home a super sleek structural integrity and the concertina effect of the doors creates an affinity between the house and garden.
Constructed to the highest standards, Origin Bi-fold doors combine not only elegance, but also the very latest in door security, with an eight-point multi-point locking system and magnum security cylinder which protects against all forms of physical attack. Manufactured and assembled at its High Wycombe factory, Origin’s eight point locking system conforms to police preferred ‘Secured by Design’ standards. Chamfered 20mm linear bolts give a smooth lock-engaging mechanism, as well as maximum compression for increased weather resistance. Add to this the deep throw 25mm security hooks – the deepest engagement – and the result is a lock which provides the best in security and weather proofing.
Internally the lantern roof creates a naturally bright, airy space giving a warm and therapeutic feel, so consequently the room has become a key feature of the house completely incorporating the garden.
When the doors were fitted in May 2012, marking an end to the project, Martin and Sue Pollins noticed a huge change in their day-to-day living. “We find ourselves sitting out here come rain or shine. When the doors are folded back it feels as if you are out in the garden, but we experience the comfort of being indoors. The whole process from beginning to end has been effortless – we have brought the garden into the house without having to move the earth,” concludes Martin Pollins.
TESTIMONIAL: “The doors are made to an exceptionally high standard; they fit perfectly, keep all the elements out, are incredibly secure and open with ease. Origin is to bi-fold what Apple is to computers” – Martin Pollins
Article by Neil Ginger: Origin Easifold Doors
Aluminium is the recommended material of choice due to precision design and engineering required for bifolds, making timber and UPVC unsuitable materials for maintaining alignment over the lifetime of the product. Origin has been recommending aluminium bifolds for over 10 years due to its strength and durability, which allows for narrow, more aesthetically pleasing frames.
We all see on programmes such as Grand Designs, glossy magazines, glass expanses etc, beautiful glass balustrades, some with handrails and some without.
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High quality Loggia have advanced thermally efficient roof and window glazing possessing excellent U-Values, making them warmer and cosier in the winter (at typically half the cost of heating a conventional conservatory) and cooler in the summer, so you can use them all year round.
In a typical Loggia, all that is required are two optional electric radiant heaters, neatly concealed in the 90 degree columns which run from floor to ceiling. An aesthetically pleasing design feature in themselves, these radiant heaters offer the option of fingertip control via a wireless controller which puts you in charge of your heating costs at all times. They also offer virtually instantaneous heat, so they compare extremely favourably with under floor heating (which can take an age and a bank loan to achieve the desired temperature) and space heaters like traditional radiators.
The Normans wanted to create a home that would remind them of being on holiday. Their 1960s chalet in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, has been transformed over the years into a modern family home, and their latest project has been to build a garden room with a Spanish feel.
“The whole process has been very simple. We basically handed everything over to the Origin team who recommended the different builders and installers to complete the extension we wanted. The extension has changed the way we view and use the house. It was the change we needed to fall in love with our home all over again – we certainly won’t be moving any time soon.”